Supervisory signaling device



June 14, 1949.

P. M. G. TOULON SUPERVISORY SIGNALING DEVICE Filed March 9, 1946 FIRE DETECTiNG APPARATUS AtY'arn V Patented June 14, 1949 SUBERYISQRYL SIGNALING? DEVIGEQ Pierre Marie earner Toulon, Neuillv sur Seine,

Erance; assie now-tn (ibm-pa'gnie Francaise-= dir- Signum,, Rania. France, at bodycorporate of Application March 9, 1946; slenalino; 653,240; ir'li'i'a vB March 8,.194

Section 1, Bulflic Law 690; August's- 8, k946i, Batent" expires March 85519651:

scams: 177F311) The present invention, relatestoi a security, device for amplifier circuits connect'ing,, for example, adetecting instrument designed to reveal a physical event, especially the, beginning: of. a fire outhreale to. a warning; recording. or con: i' 1:o1ling, apparatus The majbrity,v ofdetecting, instruments supply aniext'remely feeble quantity of! energy-,tl lis being in, particular the case of photo-electric. cells, thermoecouples ionisation cells etc,

It is necessary, therefore, to. make use of a plurality: on amplifying valves, which generally in, a stepped-up, arrangement, actuate eventually, a relay.v Thusformed circuits; asrwell as their feeding means-present numerous/causes. of faulty operation. resulting in preventingthe detecting instrument signals toreach the, alarm clevice or. giving rise .to untimely warnings.

Ilhe invention; has for its objecta new. con-v necting device ensuring an. amplification between the detecting: instrumentand-i the signalling d8: vice-, and; at; thesame time presenting, a full securitvof-operation; that-is-to sa-y rendering. any untimely-7working of. the alarm device impossible, and; whichiwouldi furthermore signal any causes of: faulty: operation;

Ancordineto the invention, the amplifier which connects-the detecting; instrument to the calling alammapnaratns-is provided with aFdeV-ice characterized by the; factthat: it. comprises means fhrrperiodically sending. control impulses into-the amplifier, andas trouble signal-ling; device actuatedrby saidiimpulsesiin casesofi mi-sop erationi of the: arnplifier;. and means-i controlled by, saidimpnl'ses 'in' casesiof correctvworkine of the-amplifier in: order to; prepare the: alarm-: device circuitto heractuatedsby thesignal. given out-by thedetecte ii'l'gi instrument.

By wavofi anexample, an: embodiment of the invention asappliedito; a firedetector has; been hereinaftendescribed; and-represented on the a C'! companyihgz drawingz.

'llhezd'evice shownvas amexample on .the drawe ingr comprises; a: difEerential.., detector constituted by: a 111911111 ionisation: cell: I, and an; auxiliary-cell zrhavingifor its object to; compensate theparasitic action on temperature: variations, of: atmospheric pressure variations, oi changes inthe; feed; ten;v sion; etc; 'Ilhiszdevice' issplacedvi-n spaces; to, be protected against lite; and; l'sr. prqvidedi with a reading: device; diagrammatically l fipllfl'v .s'ented' by the dashz-andi-ldotline rectangle Iiv A condenser 3; one: terminals off. which: is; connected tow-he detecton l-2- and"; having: the: other ten ininal earthedl is; charged: by the? detector: iv-r123;

whenthe latter is operated: under the action oi the phenomenon to be detected. A continually operating exploringdevice periodically branches thelcondenser 23 to-the amplifier (shown. by the rectangle, II); whichreceivesl thus a discharge of. the condenser 3) provided that the detector ie-Z hasibeenin action in the meantim 'Ehis periodic connectionis {performed by means oi a continuously revolving. cqminutatorswitch 4). 1'1): tating e. g, at a 1--ateof.- Lrevolution per 5T.secs., and the switch 4 is provided withva bealei acting 3S;-' 8".Q311? ;1-, and-successively closing the contacts 6; l, 8, the mobile elements oi which are actuated by the cam fiv and'sconnect'edllto the amplifier whereas the, stationary elements of said; switch are branched respectivelyto,- earth, to an, auxil iary source 9 supplying a tensionsimil'arto that of the detector. l 2 andto thecondenser.

The object at the; amplifier II- is, to transmit after amplification the signal offthe detector leaf, to an alarm device [03; the security device'ace cording to the present inventibnhasfor itsoljr ject a periodic verification of the, amplifienand the setting into. action, incase. of unsatisfactory Working of the l'attere-va'. trouble device IL, For this purpose a re1ay LZ- is mounted atcthei outlet of the amplifier, and controls its armature 13- a circuit wherein are connected the; alarm and trouble. devices: I 8 and l l ;l this icircuitg is also controlled by a. second: turning-i switch Hi1 revolve ing; in synchronisrn withthe revolving, switch 4', and provided withtcontactsv [6-,- l'i', l8} whichare closed-by. a; beak; l-5iat the sameinoment as. the contacts 6', I and. flare closed-(by the beak 5L,

Thecircuitcontaining, the alarm, and the trout ble signalling device [ii and H comprises, m oreover, alocalsource. l9, a relay controllin-g t he alarm device Ill, a relay 2| controlling: the. trouble device l'l-,.and-a controtrelay 2'2; E achvoi the'two signalling, devicesis provided with a fefiding ourc .3 24, and h a Switch v h w ndings: lf-:thQ-thrfie relays, 211,- 21, 22'. a e m ted, 0.1 t ezqn han l n p r l o.- pen of the: source: t: and onthe: t er an t h stationary e m n o he c nta ts It? and ll; the mo ile: el m n s at th se ont c wi l: atied b a: c 5 are ccnrie t' n paral o he othenpole t e ourc 5 y e n the workin contacts of the armature it" of the gut-j, let relate it on the amplifier II Nevertheless, the conn c ion be we he a me a and the on ac .8! is; centrll d fi st v' by m a s of the resting contactz'l oivthe;armatureM belone;

me a trouble re v 24, a eccnd' v by' the to the control relay 22, the latter comprises moreover a second armature 3| provided with a resting contact 32 and a working contact 33 the significance of which will be explained later on. The alarm and trouble relays 2B and 2| comprise furthermore stick circuit controlled by contacts 34 and 35 as well as a second armature 33, El controlling respectively the circuits of the signalling devices l and H.

The second revolving switch Hi comprises a contact 38 connected, on the one hand, to the trouble relay 2| through the resting contact 32 of the armature 3| of the control relay 22, and, on the other hand, to the source l9, as well as a contact 39, which is normally closed and opened by the beak l5 when acting on the flexible contact element 40. Furthermore, the contact 39 is connected in series with the contacts of the stick circuit of each of the relays 2|, 22 and 23 so that these circuits may be broken by the said second revolving switch for each of its complete revolution.

The device operates as follows:

When the cams 5 and I5 establish, on reaching 6 and IS, the contacts between the flexible and stationary elements, the contact 6 earths the amplifier circuit. In normal and satisfactory conditions, no impulse is created, and no current passes through the coil 2 at the outlet of the amplifier, consequently the contact it remains open. If, on the contrary, the circuit is not in normal state, as result, for example, of an insulation fault, an impulse is generated in the amplifier, the coil i2 is energized and the contact l5 closed. The current from the battery it passes through the elements l6, and through the trouble relay 2|, which is self-fed through the contact The circuit of the trouble device H is then completed through the contact 31, and the stick circuit of the relay 2| is broken when the beak l5 cooperates with the flexible contact element id to open the contact 39.

In the position, 1, H, the amplifier receives a tension of the battery 9 of a magnitude approximately equal to that of the condenser 3, when the detector operates. The relay |2 becomes energized and closes the contact l3. The current of the battery It traverses the contact l3, the ele-. ment I1 and the coil 22, which remains energized thanks to the contact 33 of the stick circuit which is controlled in the same manner as the stick circuit of the relay 2|, by the contact 39. The contact 32 opens and the contact 29 shuts in such a manner as to prepare the alarm circuit for the next position 8, I8 of the revolving switches.

When the cams 5, l5 reach the elements it and IS, the condenser 3 becomes deenergized, the impulse is transmitted to the amplifier, the coil I2 is energized and the contact I3 closed. The current from the battery I19 passes through the contact l3, the element IS, the contacts 29, 2! and through the coil 20, which remains energized thanks to the contact 34 of its stick circuit. The alarm device It is then set into action by the contact 36 and operates in a continuous manner until the stick circuit of the relay 2i! is broken by the opening of the contact 39 by means of the beak l5 cooperating with the flexible contact element 4U.

If no discharge is given by the condenser, no

effect is produced. When the cam reaches 39 the circuit energizing the relay 22 is broken and the initial state reestablished.

If, in result of a trouble, the relay 22 does not become energized when the cams pass over the contacts I, H, the contacts 29 and 32 remain then in the position shown in the drawing. When the cams reach the positions 8 and Hi, no result will be obtained, even if the condenser 3 operates, but when the cam I5 reaches to the position 38, the current from the battery 19 traverses the element 38, the contact 32 and the trouble relay 2| which will remain energized thanks to the contact 35. The signal trouble will then be maintained in a permanent manner, until the stick circuit of its relay is broken by the action of the beak l5 on the flexible element ii].

For more security, the contact 21 broken by the relay 2|, prevents in this case any untimely operation of the alarm relay 2|].

What I claim is:

1. Security device for amplifiers ensuring the connection between a detecting instrument of a physical event and a signalling device, comprising a detecting apparatus giving rise to a main source of potential when detecting said physical event, an amplifier, an alarm device, a trouble device, an auxiliary source of potential, means creating at the output of said amplifier, periodically and successively, an impulse taking rise in the amplifier upon a faulty working of the latter, an impulse supplied by said auxiliary source of potential and an impulse supplied by said detecting apparatus when detecting a physical event, means actuating the trouble device by the impulse resulting from a faulty working of the amplifier, means controlled by the impulses supplied to the amplifier by said auxiliary source for completing the circuit of the alarm device and means controlled by the amplifier which is in turn controlled by the detecting apparatus for actuating the alarm device.

2. Security device according to claim 1 in which the auxiliary source of potential is the amplifier with a potential equivalent to that supplied by the detecting apparatus when detecting said physical event, in which the means supplying the output of said amplifier with impulses consists of a continuously revolving switch and in 7 which the said detecting apparatus comprises an earth connection, the security device further comprising a relay supplied by the output of said amplifier so as to set the circuit of the alarm device ready to be actuated by the next position of said revolving switch and means associated with said relay for successively controlling the trouble and alarm device.

3. Security device for amplifiers ensuring the connection between a detecting instrument of a physical event and a signalling device, comprising a detecting apparatus detecting said physical event and giving rise to a signalling potential, an amplifier, an alarm device, a trouble device, an auxiliary source of potential supplying said amplifier with a potential equal to that furnished by the detecting apparatus, a first revolving switch comprising three pairs of contacts connected on the one hand to earth, to the auxiliary source and to the detecting apparatus respectively, and, on the other hand to said amplifier, so as to supply this latter with impulses, a first relay energized by the output of the latter, a second relay operating the trouble device, a third relay controlling the alarm device, a fourth relay operating the alarm device, a second source of potential, a second revolving switch moving in synchronism with said first switch and provided with corresponding pairs of contacts which are connected, on the "one hand, to the last cited three relays, and, on the other hand, to said second source through the armature of said first relay, means for controlling the alarm relay by the armatures of the said third relay controlling the alarm device and said second relay operating the trouble device in such a manner that the said alarm device is operated only when said third relay controlling the alarm device has alone been energized by the revolving switch at the moment of establishment of the connection between the amplifier and said first auxiliary source supplying the control impulses.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the trouble relay, the controlling relay and the alarm relay comprise self-feed circuits maintaining the relays closed once they have been energized by an impulse,- and wherein the second revolving switch is provided with a pair of normally closed auxiliary contacts inserted in the self-feed circuit of the controlling relay, said revolving switch producing at the end of each revolution, the opening of the self-feed circuits of the controlling relay, the trouble relay and the alarm relay.

5. Device according to claim 3 wherein the controlling relay armature comprises a resting contact, wherein the trouble, the alarm and the controlling relays comprise self-feed circuits maintaining them closed once they have been energized by an impulse, and wherein the second revolving switch is provided with a pair of normally closed auxiliary contacts inserted in the said self-feed circuits, for breaking the self-feed circuits at each revolution of said revolving switch, this latter further comprising a fifth pair of contacts disposed between the pair of contacts corresponding to the alarm relay and the said auxiliary contacts, and connected on the one hand to said second source of potential and, on the other hand, through said resting contact of the controlling relay armature, to the winding of the trouble relay in such a manner that the latter is actuated as a result of the non operation of the controlling relay.

PIERRE MARIE GABRIEL TOULON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Evans et a1 Oct. 2, 1945 Number 

